Grades 9 to 12. The SunSense Program is created and distributed by:

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1 Grades 9 to 12 The SunSense Program is created and distributed by: The material in this publication may be copied or reproduced without permission; however, the following citation must be used: SunSense Program. Canadian Cancer Society Manitoba Division

2 SunSense Program Lesson Objectives The Canadian Cancer Society s SunSense program is designed to enable Manitobans to educate people of all ages about the dangers of the Ultraviolet Radiation or UV rays and to encourage people to follow the Canadian Cancer Society s recommended SunSense guidelines. In order to keep participants thinking about sun safety past the single lesson, a SunSense UV bead bracelet activity will be part of the lesson plan. As a daily reminder of the presence of UV rays and the importance of using their SunSense, participants will be asked to wear their bracelets throughout the summer to keep reminding them to be safe while they are in the sun. Teachers, Parents, Health Care Workers, or anyone with an audience of high school students can educate their group in just 30 minutes, in order to keep the participants attention and focus. Activities are included in case you finish early. At the end of the lesson plan, the participants will have learned: 1. The importance of the sun. 2. The damaging effects of the sun. 3. What skin cancer is and what it looks like. 4. What ultraviolet rays are and the UV index. 5. The SunSense Guidelines. 6. The dangers of tanning beds. Presentation Tips The lesson plans provided in this booklet are a suggested format to use. Please don t feel limited by these guidelines or that you need to include all the information in your lesson. Adapt the questions or wording to suit your teaching style and your audience in order to get the most out of the lesson and to form a better connection with the participants. Introduce yourself and explain to the participants that the lesson will take about 30 minutes and that they will get to take part in making a sun safety craft as well as doing other fun activities when the lesson is finished. This lesson plan includes many questions in order to avoid lecturing the students about what is right or wrong and to involve the students as much as possible. This way, the information is coming from them and not only from you. When asking questions, try to avoid yes or no answers and encourage the students to give more detailed explanations. If you don t get the answers that you are looking for, try rephrasing the question. Remember to use discretion based upon the age and maturity of the group when talking about skin cancer. The information that is provided should be appropriate for most age groups. If you require further information or have any questions please call the Canadian Cancer Society at or toll free at

3 The Sun and Skin Cancer Grades 9 to 12 Lesson Plan In the summer we spend a lot of time outside in the sun. Q. What are some positive things that the sun does? A. Provides light, warmth, energy, helps our plants grow, gives us vitamin D. Q. What can happen if we get too much sun? A. You can get sunburn, heat stroke or a tan. Even a tan is considered skin damage and accumulating skin damage over time, especially the damage accumulated in your youth increases your chances of developing skin cancer. Skin Cancer (Teaching Aid: ABCDE Bookmark) Skin cancer starts in the cells of our skin and when they are altered by the sun, they can act abnormally. Q. There are three main types of skin cancer. Does anyone know what they are? A. Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Melanoma. Q. Which cancer do you think is the most harmful? A. Basal cell and squamous cell skin cancer are the most common types of skin cancer but melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. Basal cell cancer is: Found in the deepest layer of the epidermis. The most common type of skin cancer, making up about 75% of all non-melanoma skin cancers diagnosed. Mostly developed in sun-exposed areas, but it can develop anywhere. Most often diagnosed in people who are middle-aged or older. Unlikely to spread to another part of the body, but it is possible to have more than one basal cell growth at a time. Having one basal cell growth increases your risk of getting another. Squamous cell cancer is: Found in the upper layers of the epidermis. The second most common type of skin cancer, making up about 20% of non-melanoma skin cancers diagnosed. Most often developed in sun-exposed areas, but it can also develop in scars, areas of skin that have been burned or areas of the skin that are ulcerated (have open sores) for a long time. Able to spread to the deeper layers of the skin. Occasionally, it can also spread to nearby lymph nodes or organs. Melanoma is: Started in the cells that produce melanin, called melanocytes. 3

4 In a variety of forms and can appear anywhere on the skin and in rare cases, melanoma can start in parts of the body other than skin, such as the eye. Started with a change in normal-looking skin. The less common form of skin cancer but can spread in the blood or lymphatic system and is responsible for the majority of deaths from this disease. In Manitoba, it is estimated that 160 people will be newly diagnosed with melanoma and 25 Manitobans will die in Q. Where on the body do people normally get skin cancer? A. Skin cancer usually appears on chronically sun-exposed areas such as the head, neck, arm, back of the hand and leg, but it can appear on any part of your body. If something does look or feel unusual, make an appointment with your doctor. Q. Do you know what part of the sun gives us skin damage? A. Ultraviolet (UV) Rays. UV Rays and UV Index (Teaching Aids: UV Index Poster, and current UV index for the day.) Q. What are Ultraviolet Rays? A. There are 3 different classifications of UV Rays; UVA, UVB and UVC. UV rays can get through clouds, fog and haze. The rays can reflect off of water, sand, concrete and especially snow can reflect, and even increase, the sun s rays. Ultraviolet A (UVA) Penetrate deep into the skin (dermis) Produce an immediate tan. Cause skin aging and wrinkles. Plays a role in certain skin cancers Are prevalent in indoor tanning equipment such as tanning beds and sun lamps. Ultraviolet B (UVB) It can go through the outer layer of the skin (epidermis) and is responsible for a delayed tan, sunburns, most skin cancers and cataracts. Produce a delayed tan. Are more intense during summer, at higher altitudes and locations closer to the equator. Ultraviolet C (UVC) Never reach the earth's surface because the ozone layer blocks them. Are not allowed to be produced by regulated indoor tanning equipment. Q. How do you know when the UV rays are strong? A. We cannot see or feel the UV rays. So it is important that we check the UV index every morning to see how strong the rays will be for that day. Q. Raise your hand if you checked to see what the temperature is today. A. Many hands will go up. Q. Keep your hand up if you check to see what the UV index is today A. Few hands will remain up. It is as important to know what the UV index is because just like you need to know what to wear for the temperature; you need to know what to wear for the UV rays. 4

5 The UV Index is a scale from that tells us how strong the UV Index is and what precautions we should take to protect ourselves in the sun. If the UV Index reaches 3 or more, it s included in the forecast. In order to know what the UV Index is for the day, we should listen to the weather forecast, check the internet, or watch the weather channel. Once you know what the UV index is, you can look at this poster to remind yourself of how much protection you should take. Q. If the UV index is 3 or higher, what precautions should you take to protect yourself? A. See SunSense Guidelines SunSense Guidelines The students will say one of the options listed below, discuss the information then ask for another way to protect themselves. If they forget to mention one, tell them at the end. After all the guidelines have been discussed move onto the bracelet section. If you choose not to make the bracelets, move onto the conclusion. 1. SLIP on Protective Clothing (Teaching Aid: Different types of clothing) Q. What is the best type of clothing to wear? Clothing with long sleeves and long pants. Can be loose fitting and lightweight but with; Fabric that is tightly woven. Clothing with an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF). Q. What is better at protecting you from UV rays; wet or dry clothing? A. Although it is a good idea to wear a shirt when you are swimming, when your clothing is dry it will protect you more than when your clothing is wet. 2. SLAP on A Wide-Brimmed Hat (Teaching Aid: Different types of hats) Q. Why is the bucket/sun hat better than the baseball cap? A. The brim goes all the way around out head to protect your ears, back of your neck and also your eyes. Many skin cancers happen on the face and neck. These areas need extra protection. Q. Can hats have an added UPF like our clothing can have? A. Yes, you can also find hats with added UPF. Take a look the next time you are shopping. 3. SLOP on Sunscreen (Teaching Aid: Sunscreen bottle with an SPF of 15+) Q. How long before going outdoors should you put your sunscreen on? A. You should put sunscreen on at least 20 minutes before going outside. Q. How often should you re-apply sunscreen? A. Read the label and follow the instructions for reapplying sunscreen, especially after swimming, exercising or sweating. It is usually recommended to re-apply every two hours or after you swim or sweat. A good way to remember to reapply your sunscreen is by setting an alarm on your cell phone 5

6 Q. If you also need to wear insect repellant, which do you put on first? A. Put your sunscreen on first. This allows it to absorb into your skin properly. Try to avoid products that have both sunscreen and insect repellent as they don t work well together in the same product. Be sure to read and follow the instructions for use on both containers to make sure that each product is applied properly. Q. What is the minimum Sun Protection Factor (SPF) you should use? A. SPF 15 or higher for everyday use, SPF 30 if you are spending the day outside. Q. Did you know that sunscreen expires? How can you tell? A. Look for the expiration date on the bottle, tube, etc. (Pass out your bottle of sunscreen to a student and ask them to find the expiry date.) Q. What do you do if you have expired sunscreen? A. Throw out the old bottle and buy a new one, because it will not protect you as well once it has passed its expiration date. Q. What about in winter, should you wear sunscreen? A. Yes. Remember it is not the heat that gives us sunburn but the UV rays which are invisible. The sun s rays reflect off the snow. Most of your body is already covered but don t forget to put sunscreen on your face. 4. SMACK on Lip Balm with an SPF (Teaching Aid: Lip balm with an SPF of 15+) Your lips are skin and need protection too. You can buy a balm stick that has an SPF just like your sunscreen has. Be sure to reapply it just like you would your sunscreen.. 5. SEEK Shade or Create Your Own (Teaching Aid: an umbrella) Q. Can you get a sunburn when it s cloudy? A. Yes, the sun s rays can get through clouds, mist, and fog. Q. Where can you find shade? A. Tree, awning on a building, etc. Q. What can you bring with you to create shade? A. Umbrella, tent, etc. Q. What time of day are the UV rays the strongest? A. Between 11am and 4pm. An easy way to remember this and to share with your younger siblings is the following rhyme. When your shadow is short, stay out of the sun. When your shadow is tall, go out and have fun! 6. SLIDE on Sunglasses (Teaching Aid: Different types of sunglasses ) Q. What kinds of sunglasses are best to wear? 6

7 Contains both UVA & UVB protection. Sunglasses with medium to dark lenses. Lenses that have even shading; with a grey, brown or green tint. Frames with thick sides. 7. STAY Away from Tanning Beds Q. Raise your hand if you know someone who uses a tanning bed. A. Most hands will go up. Q. Raise your hand if you personally have used a tanning bed. A. Some hands will go up. Q. Is it safe to get a tan from a tanning bed? A. There's no safe way to get a tan. The World Health Organization upgraded the classification of UV-emitting devices, such as tanning beds, from a probable carcinogen to a known carcinogen. In other words, tanning beds are no longer something we think probably causes cancer we know they cause cancer. UV rays cause skin damage, including sunburns, premature skin aging, wrinkles, skin cancer and cataracts. Tanned skin is damaged skin. When the tan fades, the damage is still there. Long-term exposure to UV rays and sunburns either from the sun s rays, tanning beds or sun lamps, can put you at greater risk for non-melanoma or melanoma skin cancers. Some tanning beds can expose you up to 5 times more radiation than the sun. An expert review in the British Medical Journal showed that people who first started using indoor tanning equipment before the age of 35 have a 59% increased risk of melanoma. Q. Raise your hand if you will continue to use a tanning bed. A. Hopefully no hands will go up. Q. As of June 15, 2012 the Government of Manitoba passed new tanning regulations. Do you know what they are? Teens under 18 years will need a parent s permission slip before being able to use a tanning bed. Those under 16 years will need to have a parent present in the facility. Warning signs must be posted. Q. What do you think of the new regulations? Have they gone far enough to protect young people? Restrictions on strength of UV rays in tanning beds Restrictions on length of exposure per session Requirements for staff training Regular inspection of facilities Prohibit the use of indoor tanning beds by minors Q. Some people think they have to tan to get vitamin D. Why do we need vitamin D? 7

8 A. Tanning beds are not a safe way to get your vitamin D. Vitamin D is needed for healthy bones and muscles, especially in students and the elderly. There is growing evidence that vitamin D may reduce the risk of some types of cancer, particularly colorectal and breast cancers. For the majority of people, incidental exposure to the sun, combined with supplements and dietary intake of vitamin D, provides adequate vitamin D. Q. How else can you get your vitamin D? A. You can get vitamin D from exposure to sunlight, in your diet (especially if you eat foods fortified with vitamin D), or by taking vitamin supplements. Q. What do you think the average recommended vitamin D dosage for adults is? A international units (IU) a day. Be sure to talk to your doctor before you start taking supplements. 8. SEE Your Skin Regularly (Teaching Aid: Skin Cancer Self-Examination Door Hanger and ABCDE Bookmark) Q. How often should you examine your skin? A. At least once a month Q. What are the main changes you should look for? : A. Changes generally fall under the ABCDE classifications: Asymmetry - one half of the mole is unlike the other half. Border - irregular or questionable border. Color - darkening or loss of colour, black or black-blue are the most common colours but it could also be shades of red, blue and white. Diameter - larger than 6mm as a rule. (diameter of a pencil eraser) Evolution - a new or old mole changes in any way. Other indicators are if it is hard, lumpy, oozing, bleeding or itchy. Q. What do you do if you find something? A. Tell your guardian and make an appointment with your doctor. Your doctor will decide if you need to see a dermatologist. 8

9 UV Bead Bracelet As we said earlier it is hard to know when the UV rays are strong. You will all receive a bracelet to assemble yourselves (Hold your ready-made bracelet up for the group to see.) Because the sting is elastic it is recommended to tie the bracelet like you would a balloon. Hold both ends of the string, wrap around your finger and pull through. As you remove your left finger, pull the ends through the opening. The card on the back has many different colours but your beads will only turn purple. When the beads are light purple then you need to start taking protection and then the beads are dark purple it means that the sun is very strong, and you should be taking lots of protection. Remember that these bracelets are for when you are already outside, to help remind you to continue protecting yourself from the UV rays. You still need to check the UV index every day before you go outside, so that you are protected from the UV rays before you leave the house. Note: The beads react to UV light because they have been treated with a special chemical that is sensitive to this kind of light. A good way to test your method of UV protection is to use it on your UV bead bracelet to see how much protection it gives. (Example, put your bracelet under your clothing to see what colour the beads are.) Additional Activities Pay it forward After the students have received the SunSense lesson, give them the lesson plans for the younger grades and have them teach the younger students. (Download lesson plans from Sun Safe Video Students create a video on the topic of how to be safe in the sun. Topics can include How to be Safe in the Sun or The Dangers of Tanning Beds. They then share the videos with the rest of the school. Design a Flyer/Poster about the Danger of UV Rays and Tanning Use what you have learned about UV rays to develop a UV ray information poster to inform young people about the dangers of UV rays and tanning. Your target audience will be students your age and your design should encourage them to actually pick it up and read it! How would you convince someone that having a tan is not worth the damage to their skin and their increased chances of skin cancer? Design Your Own Sunscreen Design your bottle and then create an advertisement to share with the class. (Download from design_your_own_sunscreen.pdf) Going On A Holiday From the World Health Organization (WHO) 2003

10 Have each student choose their preferred holiday location. Ask them to find the UV Index readings for these countries on the Internet. In what ways might students need to change their behaviour compared to their home environment? What other factors might they need to consider in choosing sun protection methods, other than the UV Index, e.g. temperature, time of day, and surrounding surfaces such as water or snow? Ask students to develop a travel brochure for their chosen city or country, and include sun protection tips. Students should ensure that they consider factors like time of year in developing their advice. Make an Online Sun Safety Survey Using Survey Monkey ( create your own on-line survey to find out how many young people in your class or school are sun safe. Ask the following questions or create/add your own. When you are outside do you: 1. Wear protective clothing? 2. Wear a wide brimmed hat? 3. Apply sunscreen regularly 4. Apply lip balm with an SPF? 5. Seek or create shade? 6. Reduce sun exposure between 11am-4pm? 7. Wear sunglasses? 8. Never seek a tan? 9. NOT follow any sun safety guidelines? Graph your results. From your results, what conclusions can you draw about young people and sun safety behaviours? Make a Banner! Create a large banner with sun safety slogans to hang in your classroom. You can also ask every grade to make one part of the banner, then piece together and hang somewhere in the school that everyone can see. Sun Safety Crossword (Download from SunSense Word Scramble (Download from Sun Trivia (Download from Killer Tan (3min 12sec.) By: The Canadian Cancer Society A short skit about a girl preparing for her graduation dance. (Watch from Dear 16 year old me video (5mins. 4sec.) By: The David Cornfield Melanoma Fund Advice given by adults to their 16 year old self. (Watch from dcmf.ca)

11 Tanning is Out, Your Skin is In Video (1min.) By: Amy Mason Melanoma Foundation New England Statistics about tanning beds and skin cancer. (Watch from mfne.org/prevent-melanoma/videos) Indoor Tanning Isn t Pretty (35secs.) By: The Canadian Dermatology Association Young girls using household appliances to represent the damage they do to their skin by tanning. (Watch from Conclusion This is an important part of the presentation since we want to encourage the students to wear the beads beyond this one day. Please be sure to emphasize this in your wrap up. If you wear your UV bead bracelet every day, it will serve as a reminder for you so you don t forget how to protect yourself. You also have a pamphlet that has all the tips we ve talked about today. (Open the pamphlet and show them where to find the SunSense guidelines and UV index). Share the information you learned today with your friends and family, as everyone needs to protect themselves from UV rays. Especially talk with those who participate in outdoor and indoor tanning. Remember, UV light is not related to temperature so you can still get sunburn on a cool, cloudy day and in winter too. Don t forget to: SLIP on protective clothing; SLAP on a hat; SLOP on the sunscreen; SMACK on SFP lip balm; SEEK shade; SLIDE on sunglasses STAY away from tanning beds and SEE your skin. Remember, sun damage adds up over a lifetime. You need to protect yourself now when you are young in order to be healthy when you are older

The importance of the sun The damaging effects of the sun What ultraviolet rays and the UV Index are The SunSense Guidelines

The importance of the sun The damaging effects of the sun What ultraviolet rays and the UV Index are The SunSense Guidelines 1 Grade 4-5 2 The Canadian Cancer Society s program is designed to educate people of all ages about the dangers of the ultraviolet radiation (UV rays), and to encourage people to follow the Canadian Cancer